Stover takes District 71 seat in Georgia House

David Stover takes the oath of office as representative for Georgia’s 71st House District Monday at the state capitol. He was sworn in by Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Mike Boggs in the House chamber. Stover’s wife, Kathy, holds the Bible for the swearing-in ceremony.
By SARAH FAY CAMPBELL
sarah@newnan.com
David Stover was sworn in as the representative for Georgia’s 71st House District on Monday at the Georgia Capitol.
Stover, who handily won election to the seat in the March 5 runoff, was sworn in by Georgia Court of Appeals Judge Mike Boggs in the House chamber.

The swearing-in ceremony was held at 9 a.m., before the House convened at 10 a.m. for the 31st day of the 40-day legislative session.
“I’m really looking forward to this. I’m very excited,” said Stover.
He thanked his friends and supporters who turned out, saying he couldn’t have done it without them.
“This seat is not about me,” Stover said. “It is about the people of my district, and I will always remember that, I promise you.”
House Speaker David Ralston spoke before Stover was sworn in. “It’s a day you won’t ever forget. I still remember my turn,” Ralston said.
“To do public service, I know you will find, is a very rewarding” but also challenging endeavor, he said.

Ralston welcomed Stover to a group of “very good, hard working, decent, honorable men and women” in the Georgia House of Representatives who are seeking to “serve the community in a way they believe to be right.”

On Tuesday, Stover said he had been named to the Motor Vehicles, Small Business Development, and Science and Technology committees.

Asked what he would be doing for the next few days, Stover said he’d already read all the bills that were set to be on the floor of the House Monday, and had decided how he would vote on them. Stover said he will not vote on any bills unless he has read them.

On Monday, Stover became a co-sponsor of House Bill 26, the Georgia Constitutional Carry Act.

Though the legislative session is technically 75 percent over, Stover is getting there just in the time for the most relevant part.

Last Thursday was “Crossover Day,” the 30th day of the session. For the most part, bills have to pass either the House or the Senate before crossover day in order to have a chance to become law. The last 10 legislative days, which can stretch for weeks, are the time when the House considers Senate bills and vice versa, and differences between bills are worked out. Very little substantive legislation is passed before day 30, though this year there were a few important bills that made it into law quickly, including tweaks to the state’s new Title Ad Valorem Tax law and a law that passes responsibility to assessing the hospital provider fee from the legislature to the Georgia Board of Community Health.

Stover’s new state e-mail address will be david.stover@house.ga.gov and his office phone number is 404-656-0126.